Athletics Superstar Leaves Game Early and Could Miss Time

The A's could lose another key piece of their offense after their superstar had to leave the game early against the Marlins.

May 2, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) high fives first baseman Nick Kurtz (16) after hitting a two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The A's have been getting killed with injuries over the last few weeks, and it has slowly been pushing them farther out of contention in the AL West division.

It's still very early, but the team was a standalone leader in the AL West just weeks ago, and now they have plummeted to fourth in the division. Because the American League is super weak, they are still hovering a few games out of the Wild Card.

Sep 7, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics infielder Zack Gelof (20) shakes hands with outfielder Brent Rooker (25) after scoring a run against the Detroit Tigers during the fifth inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Over these last few weeks, we've seen Zack Gelof lose his 24-game hitting streak after leaving in the second inning against the Giants with an injury.

The A's have also lost their star designated hitter, Brent Rooker, for the remainder of the 2026 season, as he will undergo knee surgery. Jacob Wilson and Tyler Soderstrom were also placed on the injured list in the same transaction.

Shea Langeliers Leaves Friday's Contest With a Thumb Injury

Jun 13, 2026; Summerlin, Nevada, USA; Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) scores during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at the Las Vegas Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

During Friday's contest at home against the Miami Marlins, the A's star backstop, Shea Langeliers, exited the game early.

The injury came as it appears Shea was crossed up by starter Jack Perkins. The ball went off the thumb of Langeliers, and he was removed for a pinch hitter, Jonah Heim.

Shea Langeliers left the game due to a left thumb injury. pic.twitter.com/sX96gYE8dg

— Shea Bangeliers (@broncobilly_7) July 4, 2026

We have talked about how Heim was going to fill in for Brent Rooker at DH, but now it looks like he'll have to be the team's everyday catcher until Shea Langeliers is ready to go again.

As of right now, it seems Langeliers has only a left thumb contusion, but he's set to undergo further testing. Sometimes we expect it just to be a contusion, and it ends up turning into long IL stints. Hopefully, he can just get a couple of rest days, then rejoin the team on Tuesday after their off-day.

Carlos Cortes Will Have To Step Up

Jun 10, 2026; Summerlin, Nevada, USA; Athletics right fielder Carlos Cortes (26) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at the Las Vegas Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As mentioned, Jonah Heim has been hot for the A's and was expected to fill the team's need at DH following the injury of Brent Rooker. Now that Shea Langeliers is out for an unknown length of time, Heim will have to serve as the everyday catcher, meaning someone else will have to be the designated hitter.

This means that the A's will likely have to rely on Carlos Cortes to be the designated hitter daily, even against left-handed pitching, which is something he rarely gets an opportunity to do. A really bad slump from Cortes had him hitless from mid-June until Friday's game.

Carlos Cortes hits a ball out of sight 😳 pic.twitter.com/jWsWcdLgWz

— MLB (@MLB) June 11, 2026

He had a 2-hit game, which is a good sign for someone who is breaking out of a slump. We will see how the A's manage their current injury issue, but they are going to need Carlos Cortes to continue to produce if they want a chance to make a playoff push.